Memorial Motorcycle Ride in NH Ends in Tragedy

Hundreds of motorcyclists saw an otherwise peaceful morning come to a fatal end Saturday when an elderly driver in the oncoming lane swerved into them, killing two people and injuring several others. (Boston.com on August 25, 2012) The motorcyclists were holding a memorial ride for a fallen veteran when the car, driven by an 87-year-old individual, crossed the center lane and ran into the procession. Although the cause of the fatal collision is still under investigation, personal injury lawyer John Tenn says that there will likely be multiple civil claims and lawsuits resulting from this collision.

According to local police, the elderly driver was neither drunk nor speeding when his car swerved out of his lane and into the procession of motorcycles. His own wife, a passenger in his car, was among those hurt. And, according to a recent news report, her husband passed away due to injuries he sustained in the collision. Tenn says if the elderly driver is found at fault for the collision, civil claims for wrongful death will follow.

“It may be an open and shut decision,” said Tenn, a founding member of Tenn And Tenn, P.A. “No one denies he was the one driving. There were dozens of witnesses to this tragedy. What remains unanswered is why this collision occurred.”

Attorney Tenn said. “In this case, the tragedy runs deep.” The bikers were participating in a memorial ride to grieve a lost comrade, Army Spc. Justin Rollins, a Newport native who was killed in Iraq in March 2007. The ride was intended to raise money for local high school students.

Tenn says that each of the victims or their survivors may be able to file separate lawsuits and that the at fault driver’s estate would be potentially liable for them. “This is a terrible tragedy and a sad day in NH” said Tenn.